Building Tamiya's 1:16 R/C M4 Sherman Tank
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Follow
TankZone's step by step guide on building Tamiya 1:16 scale
radio control full option Sherman Tank. This is our speciality.
Our hints and tips gleamed through building many of this and
similar tanks for satisfied customers could save you time and
help avoid costly mistakes. Email if you have come across a
problem not covered here and we will share it with other enthusiasts.
Watch out for our other guides to building the Tiger 1E and
the latest M26 Pershing. |
Packaging and Contents
Top of
flap |
Illustrated
box cover with windows |
Underside
of flap |
The
model kit comes in a high quality, beautifully illustrated box x
by y by z mm weighing over 10kg. It has a built-in carrying handle
so that you can lug it home double-quick without breaking your arms.
The velcroed front flap opens to reveal the main parts inside displayed
behind clear plastic cut-outs. It's almost a shame to have to open
it to get at the goodies inside.
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Once
opened, all the parts are nicely laid out. On the left you
have the speaker box above the DMD controller and multi-function
unit. The main model itself including the upper hull and turret
assemblies is to the right. The metal lower hull is underneath.
Next to this is a long box containing all the other electronic
parts, metal suspension parts, screws and bolts and all the
odds and bits. To the right, you have the twin motor and gearbox
on top of the main metal running gear.
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Preparation
Before
you jump in head first and start gluing and screwing things together.
Here are a few things you should do that will pay big dividends
later.
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Firstly,
find a clear work area and have all the tools readily within
reach. You will need: a side cutter, a pair of sharp nose
pliers, a sharp craft knife, a fine file, assortment of screw
drivers (Ripmax do a good set for £4.99), a set of clamps,
liquid poly (plastic glue) and cyanoacrylate (super glue).
Ceramic grease and liquid thread lock is provided with the
kit. Anything else is secondary or extra.
Tips:
Have the metal primer and at least three cans of US Army olive
drab spray paint ready. It's easier to spray some parts first
before assembly and then apply a thin coat of over spray afterwards.
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Tips:
Invest in a multi-compartment plastic organiser tray, preferably
with a lid, from your local DIY shop to put all the loose
bits in. You'll find it save you so much time and frustrations
in the long run not having to look for missing bits.
When
you remove the parts from the packaging, put them separately
in different compartments in your tray. This is especially
important for the three bags of screws and nuts labelled A,
B and C. Remember which is which. Better still label the compartments
accordingly. As you open the other bags, put them into separate
compartments.
Tips:
Make sure at least one of the screw drivers is magnetic -
for picking up small screw and nuts from the said tray.
Tips:
When working with small parts, have a contrasting surface
which helps you find them easily. I found having a sheet of
white paper before me to work upon is useful for most parts.
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You
are now ready to start assembly.
Prime
Metal Parts
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The
six metal suspension armatures are fitted onto the lower metal
chassis with the screw provided. Apply plenty of liquid thread
lock to make sure it doesn't work loose. The two sets of rear
idler wheels are also fitted at this point. These are adjustable
and should not be fixed.
At
this point, the detail parts on the rear panel is assembled
and attached to the metal chassis using super glue.
The
outside exposed part of the whole assembly is then primed
with a suitable spray primer along with all the other main
metal parts like the sprockets and the suspension assemblies.
I use grey primer from Halfords. They are just as good, cheaper
and do not damage plastic parts if they can't be avoid being
sprayed together. Smaller metal parts can be primed by hand
using a suitable brush.
Leave
the primer to dry for the recommended time. I would also spray
the main chassis at this point in overall olive drab. The
reason for this is explained in the next section.
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Return
Rollers
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The
Sherman has five sets of return rollers either side; three
small and two large. The rubber that is meant to be on them
is moulded in plastic. They don't have separate rubber treads
like for the main road wheels. Therefore to make them realistic,
the wheels should first be sprayed in olive drab. When dry,
paint the rubber on by hand using Tamiya's matt black acrylic
paint.
The
wheel hubs and wheel caps should also be sprayed in olive
drab at the same time as the wheels.
Tips:
Important - Make sure you fit and secure the forward-most
return roller on both side first before mounting the gearboxes
as they do not leave big enough gaps to allow you to put the
nuts on afterward. I learned this lesson the hard way!
You
may now proceed to fit the gearboxes and complete the front
of the lower hull. I have primed the extending side plates
before-hand. The gearboxes and the inside of the chassis should
now be masked using suitable tape and paper before the unpainted
parts are sprayed in overall olive drab. Don't forget to mask
the front-most pair of return rollers else the carefully painted
on tyres will be over-sprayed.
After
the paint has dried, the rest of the return rollers can be
fitted. Make sure you apply grease to the spindles during
fitting of the return rollers to allow free movement and secure
the nuts using liquid thread lock.
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Suspension
Arm and Road Wheels Assembly
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The
three pairs of suspension arm and road wheel assembles are
assembled separately away from the main chassis, primed and
sprayed in olive drab (including the screws) before they are
attached to the receiving armature on the main chassis. The
rubber tyres can be added after the suspensions and road wheels
have been attached.
Add
main drive sprockets to gearboxes and rubber tyres to rear
idler wheel. The lower hull assembly is now complete. The
aerial fittings are left in their original colour as they
are not really part of the model.
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More
later - Watch this space!
We
don't just sell you the kit, we can build them for you as well.
Want
one of these fantastic tanks? Don't have the time? Want one as a
special present for a loved one? We can supply the model kit, build
it to a high standard and deliver it to you in a ready to run condition.
This page will give you some idea how we go about this. Email
us for more details.
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We
have a showroom of finished tanks.
Check out our Ready-Built 1:16 R/C Tamiya big Tanks
and other RTR Tanks in the Showroom
section.
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